Automobile sanding device



Jan. 31, 1928.

F. FICARRA AUTOMOBILE SANDING nnvxcn Filed Feb, 25, 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 [1112272 tor Jan. 31, 1928. 1,657,960

r F. FICARRA AUTOMOBILE SANDING DEVICE Filed Feb. 25, 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Attorney Patented Jan. 31, 1928.

UNITED STATES inane i Fttilil.

ATET- FRANCIS FICABRA, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.

AUTOMOBILE SANDING DEVICE.

Application filed February-25, 1927. Serial No. 170,947.

ventional design.

l Vith the foregoing and other objects in view as the nature of the invention will be better understood, the same comprises the novel form, combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter more fully described, shown in the accompanying drawings and claimed I r i In the drawings wherein like reference character's indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary view mainly in side elevation of a coupe type. of automobile equipped with my improved sanding device.

Figure 2 is a vertical section through the rear end of the automobile taken substantially upon the line 22 of Figure 1 for disclosing more clearly the sand hopper and the discharge pipes thereof, and

Figure 3 is an enlarged fragmentary section of the discharge end of one end of the pipe equipped with a normally closed door operable by the pressure of the foot brake pedal.

Now having mrticular reference to the drawing, A. designates a conventional. design of automobile of the coupii type equipped with the usual rear compartment B generally desigi'lated the turtle back and having the usual hinged lid C as its top wall;

Arranged within the turtle back is a sau d. hopper 5 having at its top side a charging opening 6 circumferentially flanged as at 7, which flange engages through. an opening in the door C of said turtle back and arranged within which is a conventional funnel S that may, and preferably is equipped with a lid 9.

The forward portion of the bottom wall of the sand container 5 is of rearwar'dly sloping formation as suggested by the dotted lines in Figure 1, said bottom wall being further of inverted ll-formation as in Figure 2, while leading from the opposite sides thereof at the rear end are downwardly eX- tending diverging discharge pipes 10-10, preferably of sectional. formation and extending through openings in the bottom wall of the turtleback C, as well as through open ings in the fender toeboards DD, directly at the forward ends of the rear fenders E-E. The ends of these pipes lO1O are equipped with depending flared mouths 11-1l arranged within openings in the automobile running boards F-F. Hingedly secured to each mouth 11 by reason of a spring hinge 12 is a door 13 normally maintained closed by the action of said spring hinge as clearly indicated. in Figure 3. Secured to each door 13 is the rear end of a pull rod 14 that extends forwardly bcneath the car, and that is secured at its forward end to the vehicle foot brake pedal G.

Obviously, the sand within the container 5 will at all times tend to flow through the pipes 1()10. However, the escape of the sand through the pipe mouths 1l-ll will be prevented by the normally closed doors 13l3.

However, when the brake pedal G is applied the pull rods will be actuated for opening these doors to permit a quantity of the sand to escape directly in front of the rear traction wheels of the automobile so that a proper stop may be made upon the road surface regardless of its condition.

Even though I have herein shown and described the invention as consisting of certain detail structural elements it is nevertheless to be understood that some changes may he made therein withoijlt affecting the spirit and scope of the appcmled claim.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim is:--

In a sanding device for autoniobiles in combination with the running boards, the fender toe boards, and the foot brake pedal thereof; a sand hopper having a lillin opening in its upper portion, the bottom of said hopper being inclined downwardly in a reai ward direction and being of substantially inverted V-shaped design, a; pair of sand discharge pipes diverging downwardly from the opposite sides of the hopper at the rear thereof and extending through the respective fender toe boards, flared discharge mouths at the lower ends of the pipes and extending through the respective running boards in front of the BGSPSCtlVG rear wheels of the automobile a spring controlled closure hingedly associated itheach mouth for normally maintaining the same closed, and means operatively connecting the foot brake pedal with said spring ,-outrollecl closures for moving the some to an open position to allow the sand to discharge through lhe W mouths simultaneously when the foot brake pedal is actuated.

In testimony whereof I ullix my signature.

FRANCIS i i'einum. 

